The Final Goodbye of Dennis Creevey
by yellow 14
Summary: Dennis Creevey says his final goodbye to his family. Written for the Quidditch League round ten.


Disclaimer: Don't own. Understand?

AN: Written for the Quidditch League round ten. Prompts are in **Bold.**

The beds were too white.

That was Dennis Creevey's first thought as he slowly opened his eyes. The room seemed almost artificially bright with all the white beds lined up. It was almost painful to look at.

Alternatively it could be because he wanted to avoid thinking about what he knew was coming. But, as Colin would have said if he was still around, there were some things that he couldn't leave undone.

Dennis gave a grim, wheezy chuckle as he thought about what Colin might actually say if he was actually there. Probably something along the lines of telling him not to go, that he just had to pull himself up and beat his nerves and fear. Colin was always good at that and his enthusiasms for his idols was **infectious**, especially to his younger brother who virtually idolised his big brother.

Dennis gave another wheezy chuckle. He was avoiding the subject. He raised his hand slightly and caught the attention of one of the healers passing by. He was a young man with a distinctly harassed look on his face and short brown hair.

"Young man," Dennis wheezed, before pausing for a long coughing fit. "Young man, is my family here? They said they would be here about now." he asked and the young healer pulled out his clipboard and tapped it with his wand.

"Yes, they're here. It appears they arrived a few minutes ago," he said irritably and Dennis gave him a slight nod.

"Thank you young man," he said, before giving the young healer an appraising look. "A new trainee I'm guessing?"

"Yes I am."

"Must be an interesting career to be joining," Dennis continued and the young healer's eyes seemed to light up.

"Well at the moment it's just grunt work. Cleaning up mess, fetching delicate potions, stuff like that. But I'm learning as well and one day I'll be saving lives. I mean, that's what I want to do for people."

Dennis gave him a grim chuckle. "I don't think You-Know-Who would count."

"**We're all human, aren't we? Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving." **The healer replied. "Even a monster like that."

Dennis looked at the young man in disbelief. Fortunately he was saved from replying by the arrival of his children, in-laws, grandchildren and even great grandchildren, along with his elderly and physically fragile wife. He smiled at them.

"I'm so very happy to see you all here," he said as he wheezed away. It was becoming harder to breath, even with the aid of spells and potions. His oldest son Colin looked at him with concern.

"You'd better save your strength dad," Colin said in a worried voice. Dennis almost laughed. Colin might share the same name and look like Colin would no doubt have looked like had he survived the battle of Hogwarts, but he lacked the same vigour for life that his namesake had. Everything about him, from his nervous darting eyes, to his staid business suit marked him very clearly as being a very different person. His brother Colin would never have been so…so stiff, he was sure of that. Dennis gave him a grim chuckle.

"I won't need my strength where I'm going," he wheezed and a horrified look crossed the faces of most of his family. (The only exception being his great granddaughter Megan, but as she was only six months old, he couldn't really blame her.) "I'm going to die soon. There's not much I can do that will make a difference."

"Don't say that dad," his daughter Laura reprimanded. "You're as tough as old boots." Despite her words, Dennis could see the concern her grey eyes

"Yeah, if Voldemort and his cronies couldn't kill you, nothing could!" James, his youngest grandson added exuberantly, but then again, James did everything exuberantly. It was one of the advantages of youth, Dennis supposed and at thirteen years old, James was definitely in place to live with the advantages of youth. Dennis gave another wheezy chuckle.

"You –Know-Who never faced a power as implacable as this," he replied dryly, before coughing once more. He looked at his family. "I'm an old man and I've lived a full life." A sudden coughing fit interrupted him and he paused before continuing. "Time is not on my side any more. My health is failing and I will die sooner rather than later."

"Dad…" Colin began and Dennis waved him off.

"I'm not afraid of dying. I've seen enough death in my time and come close enough to it on more than one occasion." Dennis paused and gave his family a smile. "I'm ready for it. I've married a wonderful woman," he nodded to his wife Lucy, "been a father to two sons and an amazing daughter," he nodded at his children, who had all grown up to be wonderful, people, even if they didn't match his hopes and expectations, "a grandfather and even a great grandfather," he smiled at the youngest member of his family. She looked back at him, smiled and proceeded to fart loudly.

There was a moments silence and her parents looked embarrassed by their bay daughter's unfortunate timing. Then the silence was broken by Dennis bursting out into a wheezing laugh, his whole bed shaking with him.

"Well, it's good to know that someone doesn't stand on ceremony," he said when his laughter finally subsided. Megan merely giggled at him and one of her fingers reached out to him.

"How long do you think you have left?" Colin asked him sombrely. Dennis gave him a sad look in return.

"A few days at best. The healers think that-" a sudden coughing fit overwhelmed him and he stopped talking.

"Dad, don't talk nonsense. That's no attitude for a he-" his daughter started before being suddenly cut off by Dennis.

"I'm one-hundred and twenty," he told her bluntly. "Even magic cannot beat back old age indefinitely."

"But…" there were tears in her eyes and they threatened to open a floodgate of emotion. He reached out to her and put his hand on her cheek.

"Laura, if I could spare you this pain, I would," he told her sadly. "If I could comfort you and tell you that it was going to be alright, I would. But I can't and to tell you otherwise would make it hurt more when it finally happened. But I want you to know that I'm proud of you. All of you. And I wanted-" a sudden burst of coughing interrupted him, before he continued. "I wanted to see you all before I go onto the next great adventure."

There was a sharp silence and Dennis felt a wave of weariness wash over him. He was tired and he could feel it. He let out an involuntary yawn. He could feel the pressure building up on his eyes. The potions he was taking were beginning to take effect and he knew that he didn't have long before he went back to sleep.

"I want you to promise me something," he said quickly. "I want you to promise me that you will carry on once I'm gone for good."

"I promise that we w-" Colin started, but Dennis heard no more after that as the potions overwhelmed him and sent him into a deep sleep.

At eleven-fifteen that night, Dennis Creevey finally died. What happened next is another story.

AN: Not too happy with the ending, but meh.


End file.
